The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus, e.g., a digital copier, facsimile transceiver or word processor and, more particularly, to an image forming apparatus which has an image reading and correcting device capable of outputting an image with a corrected table and can form a corrected image on a paper sheet or similar recording medium.
A conventional digital copier, for example, scans or optically reads a document laid on a glass platen and causes a photoelectric transducer to convert it to an electric signal. The electric signal is subjected to various kinds of image processing to turn out a recording signal. The recording signal modulates the emission intensity or the emission time of a laser or similar light emitting device. As a result, a latent image corresponding to the document image is electrostatically formed on a photoconductive element. With such a digital copier, it is not practicable to add, delete or correct part of the document image, e.g., a table since the copier reads the document image uniformly. The only measure left is to cut and paste part of the document where the table exists or to erase or correct desired part of the table by a retouching liquid.
A computer system or a word processor equipped with a scanner and a printer can generate a table and correct it. However, although the system can easily and rapidly correct a table which it generated, it cannot do so when it comes to a table generated by another equipment. Hence, such a system cannot add a table unless newly generating it.
As stated above, conventional image forming apparatuses cannot correct part of a table included in a document image unless the table is cut and pasted at the cost of time. In addition, the table cut and pasted prevents an attractive image from being reproduced. Moreover, even with a word processor, for example, entering a table on a keyboard again is timer and labor-consuming.